Mail-box signal



F. F. MACKEY.

MAIL BOX SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED S EPTI I0. I918.

1,334, 106. Patented Mar. 16,1920.

//r 5 awuwntoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK F. MACKEY, OF SEXSMITH, ALBERTA, CANADA.

MAIL-BOX SIGNAL.

Application filed September 10. 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK F. Maoxnv. a subject of the King oi GreatBritain, residing at Sexsmith, in the Province of Alberta and Dominionof Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-BoxSignals, of which the following a specification.

This invention relates to signals and particularly to a signal for ruralmail boxes and has for its object to provide a simple. automatic andpositively operated signal to be attached to a mail box for indicatingto the postman collecting mail whenever there is anything within the boxto be collected. such means beingoperated by the weight of the mailmatter deposited within the box to move signal flag into displayposition.

lVit-h these objects in view, together with others which will appear asthe description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel formationcombination and arrangement of parts, all as will be described morefully hereinafter, particularly pointed out 1n the claims, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichf Figure 1 is an endelevation of a rural mail box with the signal device applied thereto,and

Fig. 2 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view of the same.

in the drawings, 5 indicates a n'iail box such as is used in the ruraldistricts into which mail is deposited for collection by carriers andwhich is fixed in position to be convenient both to the recipient ofmail and to the postman. On the outside of the box at one end 6 ismounted a disk 7 on a central pivot S fixed to the box. Fastened to thedisk and projecting outwardly from the periphery thereof is an arm 9carrying on its outer end a signal 10 which may be in the form of aflag, banner or of other shape and colored in a manner to attractattention. Both arm and signal are preferably made of metal to withstandthe weather.

Within the mail box 5 and above the bottom 11 of the box, is placed amovable bottom 12 hinged at 13 at the end of the box opposite the disk 7and extending toward the end 6 of the box, the movable bottom beingsubstantially as long and as wide as the interior of the box, suflicientspace only being left between this bottom and the sides and ends of thebox to prevent contact therewith when the bottom is moved. Pro-Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1923.).

Serial No. 253.421.

jecting from the free end of the bottom 12 is a pin l lthat extendsthrough a vertical slot 15 in the end 6 of the mail box and has pivotedthereto one end of a link 16, the opposite end of the link being pivotedby a crank pin 17 to the disk 7 so that movement of the bottom 12 willrotate or rock said disk.

hen the mail box 5 is empty the signal 10 will assume the positionindicated in full line in 1, the parts being so adjusted that the weightof the signal will be slightly in excess-of the weight'ot the bottom 12so that when there is nothing in the box, the signal will automaticallyrock into the position shown. Then, however, any mail is deposited inthe box through a suitable opening, not shown, it will fall upon themovable bottom 12 and the weight thereof be suflicient to cause saidbottom to fall, and through the connecting link 16, rock the disk 7 andthe signal attached thereto into upright position, shown in dotted linesin Fig. 1. In this position, the postman approaching, seeing theelevated signal will. know that the box contains matter for collectionwhich upon being removed, again shifts the preponderance of weight tothe signal and the latter automatically drops.

The foregoing description and the drawings have reference to what may beconsidered the preferred, or approved form of my invention. It is to beunderstood that I may make such changes in construction and arrangementand combination of parts, materials, dimensions, et cetera, as may proveexpedient and fall within the scope of the appended claims, such forinstance as substituting a crank arm for the disk 7 to the outer end ofwhich the crank pin 17 is attached and extending the signal support 9inwardly to the arm.

Having thus hilly described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto sesure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a mail box, of a bottom pivoted at its rear endtherein and having pin projecting from its front end, an arm pivoted onthe front end of the box and carrying a signal, a crank pin connectedwith said arm, and a link connecting this pin with the pin on thebottom.

2. The combination with a mail box, of a movable bottom therein hingedat one end to said mail box, and having a pin projecting from theopposite end through the adjacent end of said box, a signal memberpivoted to the latter end of the mail box, and a connection between saidsignal member and the pin projecting from the movable bottom foroperating said member when a weight is placed upon the bottom.

3. The combination with a mail box, of amovable bottom therein hinged atone end near one end of the box, a pin projecting from the opposite endof said bottom through a slot in the adjacent end of the mail box, adisk pivoted to the latter end of the mail box and exteriorly thereof, adisplay signal projecting from the periphery of said disk, and a linkbetween said disk and said pin for causing operation of the signal whenmail matter is placed upon the movable bottom.

4. The combination with a mail box, of a movable bottom therein hingedat one end to one end of the mail box and extending to the opposite end,a pin projecting from the latter end of said bottom through a verticalslot in the adjacent end of the mail box, a rocking disk pivoted to thelatter end of said mail box and exterior thereof, a signal memberprojecting from the periphery of said disk, a link. pivoted at one endto said pin and at its opposite end to said disk for moving the latterand so changing the position of the signal when a weight is placed uponor removed from said movable bottom, said signal being maintained by aslight preponderance of weight in a depressed po sition when the mailbox is moved and to resume said position after being raised when allmail has been collected.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK F. MACKEY.

WVitnesses CHARL S Ln CURTIS, JAMES P. DONOVAN.

